


a single specious need

by wrennette



Series: setup/payoff [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Blanket Permission, M/M, do not copy to another site, two gay virgins being awkward (but also cute)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:35:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28080015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrennette/pseuds/wrennette
Summary: With the way Din was raised in the Fighting Corps, he'd learned to appreciate efficiency and battlefield competence. What Fett had - it was the next level up.
Relationships: Cara Dune/Fennec Shand (background), Din Djarin & Boba Fett, Din Djarin/Boba Fett
Series: setup/payoff [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2070903
Comments: 46
Kudos: 539





	a single specious need

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Amiri Baraka's [As a Possible Lover](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?contentId=28989). Set in the same universe as and more or less concurrent to [a mutual appreciation](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28029930)

It wasn't until later, after Din had a chance to rest a bit, decompress, grieve, rail against the injustice of losing Grogu, and grieve again that he really thought much about Boba Fett beyond an awkward sort of gratitude. But the fight won't stop playing behind his eyelids. He'd been trying to shield Shand, who was only lightly armoured, when Fett had returned in his armour.

From the way Fett had moved - it was clear that it wasn't the first time he'd worn armour, and he'd known every hidden bit of firepower packed into that kit. With the way Din was raised in the Fighting Corps, he'd learned to appreciate efficiency and battlefield competence. What Fett had - it was the next level up. 

The memory played again, fragments and snippets seen out of the corner of his eye. Fett dropping charges, and using the debris cloud to hide his landing. The almost uncanny knowledge of his enemies positions Fett seemed to have. Din knew he was an above average fighter himself. And his armour allowed him to take an almost absurd amount of damage before he was overwhelmed. But guarding Shand's back - he knew that if Fett had left them then, the stormtroopers would have overwhelmed them. 

Memory unspooled again, the crack of the stormtroopers armour as Fett clubbed them, the steady, almost inexorable way Fett advanced. Din felt his face heat just thinking about it. And that slight, almost-there smile when Fett spoke of his father. Fett might not have been raised as Din was in the covert, but there was no question that the man was Mando through and through. Din thrilled a bit at that, in a way he hadn't upon meeting Bo-Katan and her comrades.

At first, Din thought it might be something like when he recruited Cara on Sorgan, they way they respected one anothers skills and fought well at one another's side. But when Cara rejoined them, and settled back at his side as easily as ever, he realized it wasn't quite the same - wasn't even that similar. There'd never been the sort of tension between him and Cara there was between him and Fett. 

Maybe, Din thought to himself, it was because their ways of being Mandalorian were incompatible. But it wasn't really that either. While Fett was willing to remove his helmet around strangers, he also clearly cared for his armour, respected it as a link to both his father and his culture. Once they left Tython, one of the first things Fett had done was go carefully over the armour, repairing it and then producing an ancient set of paints to redo the colours he so proudly wore. That armour was part of him, just as Din's was part of himself. Their ways of being Mandalorian weren't the same. But they weren't incompatible. 

After letting Mayfeld go, Cara and Fennec disappeared into the bunks together, and Din stared at the closed door for a long moment before climbing up to the cockpit to join Fett. He shifted uncomfortably at the thought of what the two women were probably doing - neither had been particularly discreet in her admiration of the other, and while Din was perfectly fine with that, the idea of getting naked with someone he'd known for less than a week was almost terrifying. By the beliefs of the covert, he would only ever show his face to his spouse. But then, no matter what Mayfeld said, he'd broken that stricture a few hours before. 

"Heavy thoughts Mando," Fett said, inviting conversation, but not forcing it. Din wasn't really one for talking, but - maybe he'd understand. 

"You take off your helmet," Din said after a while, not sure how to bring this up. 

"I do, more than I used to, since getting my armour back," Fett admitted. "Being without it - I had a lot of time to think, in the Dune Sea." Din nodded at that. The desert had a way of making a being face things they might otherwise leave alone. 

"Your father - how did he meet your mother?" Din asked, because Fett had only mentioned one parent. Fett snorted.

"You really don't know?" Fett asked after a moment, then shook his head. "I have no mother," he said. "I'm an unaltered clone, the only unaltered Fett clone." Din blinked, then nodded. Some deeper meaning was hidden in that statement, but he didn't know enough to unravel it. 

"But he took off his helmet too," Dinn said, "and was still Mandalorian." Fett nodded, then cocked his head slightly, looking over at Din through the corner of his visor. 

"Are you asking me about sex?" Fett asked, and Din rather wished to be dropped into a sarlacc himself. 

"I - I know how it works," Din said, fighting the urge to curl in on himself. "I just - I was taught that I should only ever take off my helmet in front of my spouse and family. I don't - how do you trust enough, to - they just looked at one another, traded a few lines, and went into the bunks. I - I'm trying to understand."

Fett laughed, rusty and quiet. Din didn't feel like Fett was laughing at him - just laughing at the universe. 

"I'm the wrong person to ask Mando," Fett admitted. "I don't trust easy, and I've never trusted someone enough for that." Din blinked. "From what I understand, it's not uncommon - hells, there's a reason my dad got a clone when he wanted a kid, instead of finding a partner. He was killed when I was still pretty young, but all of his friends on the circuit, none of them were people he'd fucked. I don't know if he just wasn't interested, or if he didn't trust anyone enough. I've been interested before. But my interest has never outweighed my caution."

"Oh," Din said, feeling a little stupid. 

"Someone catch your eye?" Fett asked, and Dinn felt his face heat. 

"Maybe?" Din said, not sure what to say or how to say it. He liked the way Fett moved, liked the way Fett made him feel. Trusted Fett, although maybe not enough to take off his armour. But the idea of it seemed - more possible than with anyone else he'd met. 

"Well, it doesn't hurt to think about, and I'm pretty sure you already know how to maintain your weapon," Fett said, and made a lewd gesture. Din grinned behind his helmet. 

"Yeah," Din agreed. He swallowed, and shifted, his cock beginning to take interest in the conversation.

"Please tell me it isn't Mayfeld," Fett said, and Din choked on his breath, deflating at the thought.

"No!" Din said emphatically. "Uh, no. No. Not Mayfeld. I can't stand him, although I guess I can't stand him slightly less now - still don't like the bastard, and no."

Fett laughed quietly, and this time Din knew he _was_ being laughed at. Somehow, instead of being embarrassed, he just felt warm; a bit proud at having made Fett laugh.

"And you're not upset that Fennec and Dune are hooking up," Fett went on, theorizing out loud. 

"I like Cara a lot," Din admitted. "But - I care for her the way I care about my covert. Like family." Fett nodded, sobering. 

"That's good," Fett said, and Din thought he could pick up a thread of sorrow in Fett's voice. From what he'd said, he didn't really have any family left. "Family - that's worth more than anything." Din nodded, mind turning again to the child. Was Grogu okay? Were they feeding him enough? "We'll get him back," Fett said, knowing where Din's mind had gone, and Din could only nod, that warm feeling he was beginning to associate with Fett welling up inside him. Fett and Shand had given their word of honour, and so far, they'd stuck to their part of the bargain. He doubted he would have trusted Bo-Katan with this hunt, nor ever thought to ask her about getting close to someone.

"I know - I know you said that helping me - this is payment for your armour. And I - understand that. But to me - this - your help - it means a lot to me. So much. More than-" Din fumbled and stammered, and Fett's hand settled on his shoulder, gently but easily curling around the side of his neck where his armour didn't cover, and he was so very vulnerable. Din's heart leapt in his throat, and his heart raced. 

"I was ten, when my father was killed in front of me," Fett said, quiet in the stillness, visor turned forward toward the viewscreen. "There was no one who looked after me, like I think maybe the Mandalorians looked after you. We were cut off from our people, some of them would claim we weren't Mandalorian at all. I hunted, because it was what he'd taught me, and I was in a Republic prison by the time I was twelve." 

Fett looked over, and despite that they were both wearing helmets, Din felt as though their gazes met, and held. It felt just as vulnerable as the press of Fett's hand against his neck. Din swallowed, felt the knot of his throat bob against Fett's thumb.

"It's taken me a while. I've killed my share, and I'm certain some of them were parents. But like I said - I had a lot of time to think in the Dune sea. And if I can keep one child, just one, from feeling what I felt-" Fett said, and there was a hard promise in his voice. Din didn't think he'd ever been so attracted to someone in his life. His breath stuttered in his chest. Slowly, he pulled off his gloves, then took Fett's hand, and gently pulled that glove off too. Fett's breath hitched audibly. 

"My name is Din," he said roughly, and pressed Fett's bare hand up, under the collar of his clothing, against the skin of his throat where his pulse raced. 

"Din," Fett said. "I won't ask you to take this off," he promised, rubbing his thumb along the lower edge of Din's helmet. He glanced away, quickly checking over the controls before turning back to Din. "Are - are you sure?" he asked, his usual confidence nowhere to be seen. 

Din swallowed again. "Very," he managed to work out. He licked his lips nervously. He didn't know how to explain it - he'd never been good with words. And how could he make it make sense? He felt warm and safe with Fett, protected. Everything he learned about Fett just made him want to know more. Made Din want to press close and protect Fett, as Fett had protected him. "But I - I don't know how this works," Din admitted. 

"We'll have to figure it out together," Fett said. "But you should call me Boba."

**Author's Note:**

> i'm @wrennette on tumblr, pillowfort and dreamwidth, feel free to come say hi!


End file.
